First Tatar-language comic, "Tatar Women," added to UNESCO’s collection of remarkable books for young readers in indigenous and endangered languages

A Tatar-language comic book published in Kazan, "Tatar hatyn-kyzlary / Tatar Women," has been included in the IBBY–UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books for Young Readers in Indigenous and Endangered Languages, UNESCO and the book’s authors announced. The volume, produced by the "Tatarcha comics" project led by journalist and musician Radif Kashapov together with Regina Gayazova, is the first Tatar-language title to be accepted into the international collection.

The comic presents documentary-style narratives about four prominent Tatar women: the first Tatar actress Sakhibjamal Gizzatullina-Volzhskaya (Сәхибҗамал Гыйззәтуллина-Волжская), composer Sara Sadiykova (Сара Садыйкова), mathematician Sara Shakulova (Сара Шакулова), and pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union Maguba Syrtlanova (Мәгүбә Сыртланова). Text for the book is credited to Radif Kashapov; illustrations were produced by Natalya Yakunina, Yulia Galiakbarova, Ruslan Ibrahimov and Arina Filippova. On the project’s official channels the authors said the inclusion in the UNESCO list was a major emotional milestone: "Елыйм! Безнең өчен бу — зур шатлык һәм чын күңелдән эшләнгән эш".

The creators have characterized the comic as grounded in documentary sources. Kashapov told followers on social media that, for example, the Sara Sadiykova piece drew on a book by Gulshat Zaynashova and that the team treated these sources as documentary material while acknowledging the limitations and necessary narrative choices in any retelling. He said: "Мәсәлән, Сара Садыйкова хикәясе Гөлшат Зәйнәшева китабы ярдәмендә язылган иде, мин аны документаль әсәр дип әйтә алам. Аңлыйсыздыр, теләсә нинди документаль әсәрдә дә барыбер ниндидер читкә тайпылышлар була, мәсәлән, ничек сөйләшкәннәр, тегесе кайда торган, бусы кайда торган һәм башкалар, бөтен нәрсә дә документальлеккә туры килеп бетмидер инде. Гомумән, бу комикслар – документаль әсәрләр: Сәхибҗамал Гыйззәтуллина-Волжскаяның истәлекләре бар, Сара Шакулованың – хатлары, Сыртланова һәм аның хезмәттәшләре турында гомумән күп нәрсә язылган".

The print run for "Tatar Women" began with 1,000 copies and an additional 500 were printed after the initial run, the authors said. The book reportedly sold out quickly on the market and was distributed to libraries; members of the Tatar diaspora in Canada, Turkey and Germany also purchased copies. UNESCO’s online catalog lists the book under the bilingual entry Tatar hatyn-kyzlary / Tatar Women and identifies its publication as originating in Kazan, with the languages of the edition noted as Tatar and Russian.

The IBBY–UNESCO collection aims to highlight children’s and young adult literature published in indigenous and endangered languages. Launched within the framework of the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), the project solicited submissions globally; the first selection drew more than 500 applications from around the world and resulted in roughly 170 books selected in over 150 languages. The chosen books encompass illustrated titles, novels, biographies, graphic novels and popular science works published between 2018 and 2025. The collection’s official presentation took place in Ottawa from August 6–9, 2026, and selected titles will be preserved as a permanent collection in UNESCO’s library in Paris.

Among other Russian-language or Russia-origin titles included in the collection are works published in Veps, Sakha, Komi, Dolgan and other Finno-Ugric languages. UNESCO’s selection criteria emphasize not only literary and artistic quality but also a title’s contribution to the preservation and promotion of local languages.

The recognition of a Tatar-language title comes against a backdrop of concern about the status of the Tatar language. In UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages, experts have categorized Tatar as "Potentially vulnerable." Official Russian census figures cited by the authors show a marked decline in speakers: between 2002 and 2021 the number of people reporting knowledge of Tatar fell from 5.3 million to 3.26 million, a reduction of roughly 2 million over 19 years, with some 2.91 million using the language in daily life according to the 2021 census results.

The inclusion of "Tatar Women" in the IBBY–UNESCO collection both spotlights contemporary cultural production in the Tatar language and underscores international efforts to promote literature that supports endangered and indigenous languages. For those concerned with minority rights and cultural preservation, such international recognition can translate into greater visibility, library acquisition and wider distribution—factors that advocates argue are important for keeping minority languages and their literatures alive.